MTN Business partners with the Eastern Cape Department of Education to offer virtual education to Grade 12 pupils during lockdown
Thousands of Grade 12 pupils in the Eastern Cape will now have an opportunity to catch up on their school curriculum by using online learning platforms after MTN Business provided the provincial Department of Basic Education with 72 000 SIM cards preloaded with data.
This move is part of MTN’s multi-pronged intervention that seeks to mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus outbreak on communities it operates in, particularly those that have the least resources to counter the pandemic.
In addition to the provision of the SIM cards, MTN Business has also contributed equipment consisting of state-of-the-art cameras, white boards and other equipment valued at R27 million to support the 13 broadcasting studios that the provincial government is setting up. These studios will be used to conduct virtual classes.
“The provision of these SIM cards and the ICT equipment is part of our ongoing efforts to offset the negative impact of the coronavirus outbreak by ensuring that we harness the power of connectivity to facilitate access to education for millions of pupils who are unable to attend school because of the nationwide lockdown. This is part of our contribution to the national efforts to use digital solutions to recover lost time and stay abreast of the school curriculum,” said Wanda Matandela, Chief Enterprise Officer at MTN Business.
MTN currently offers zero-rated access to a range of websites which include more than half of the 26 South African universities, education portals and Wikipedia.
“Our strategy on zero rating of educational websites has seen MTN South Africa together with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Siyavula Foundation partner to sure that Grade’s 10, 11 and 12 learners stay on top of their curriculum material,” Matandela said. “This can be accessed using the Siyavula website (www.siyavula.com) and via the Siyavula app (available in the Google Store).
“We acknowledge the efforts the MTN regional office and the provincial government has taken to ensure that our learners are not left behind during these difficult times.”
